Prosthetic cardiac valves have been used for many years to treat cardiac valvular disorders. The native heart valves (such as the aortic, pulmonary and mitral valves) serve critical functions in assuring the forward flow of an adequate supply of blood through the cardiovascular system. These heart valves can be rendered less effective by congenital, inflammatory or infectious conditions. Such damage to the valves can result in serious cardiovascular compromise or death.
Treatments for such disorders include surgical repair or replacement of the valve, such as during open heart surgery. In some procedures, a new prosthetic heart valve is sutured within the valve region to replace the functionality of the native valve. In other procedures, an annuloplasty ring or other device is sutured around the native valve annulus to improve the functionality of the native valve. In many of these surgeries, a series of many sutures need to be placed around the perimeter of the prosthetic device to secure it to the native tissue.
Traditionally, each suture is placed one at a time by a surgeon, which requires a lot of time and requires great care and dexterity to ensure that each suture is secured properly. If any of the sutures come loose, or are too tight or too loose, the patient's health may be jeopardized. At the same time, it is desirable to minimize the duration of the surgical process to reduce the risks of complications such as infection and ischemia. Thus, there is a need for devices and methods that enable a prosthetic heart valve device to be sutured in place both more rapidly and more accurately.